Package inspection



Aug. 28, 1928. 7 1,682,464

C. ARELT ET AL PACKAGE INSPECTION Fild April 29, 192'? NV NTOR. Waczm j AT RNE Patented Aug. 28, 1928. i

1,682,464 PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES ABEL'I AND JOHN JACKSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO AMERICAN MACHINE 8c FOUNDRY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PACKAGE INSPECTION.

Application filed April 29 This invention relates to an improvement in package inspection, partieularlybfpackages produced by packaging machines used for wrapping a number of similar articles.

In the operation of packaging machines, it sometimes happens that although the finished package presents the usual appearance, the. number or arrangement of the articles Within the same may be faulty, or one or package found defective.

more of the articles themselves may be imperfect. In packaging cigarettes for exampleone or more cigarettes may be missing; they may not be properly arranged in rows; and one or more of them may be too'soft. Since such defects cannot be detected after the pack.- age is finished, it is desirable to inspect the assemblyof articles in each package before the wrapper is applied, and to mark each The underlying object of the present invention is the production of means for automatically detecting defective packages and so marking them that they may be rejected before gomg on the market. A further object of the 11 1- vention is the production of a device for-thls purpose comprising a number of feelers,

their number and arrangement corresponding with the number and arrangement of the articles assembled, these feelers controlllng a correspondingnumber'of electrical contacts so that when the inspecting device is moved into engagement with the article assembly, any one of the feelers, when not restrained in its movement by the presence of a, perfect article in its proper place and of the proper density, will close an electric circuit which sounds an audible alarm and actuates a marking device defacing the package wrapper for ready reco nition when the finished package is disc arged from the machine. Withthese and other ob jects not specifically mentioned in view, the invention consists in -berta1n constructions and combinations which will be hereinafter fully described and then specifically set forth'in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like characters of reference indicate, the

same or like parts, Fig. 1 is a view in elevation and partly in section of a device constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the inspecting device; and Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the device shown Fig. 2. 1

nca y ng e nventlon into effect,

,1927.v Serial No. 187,685.

semblages of articles and or wrappers in whichsaid assemblages are to be located,

detecting means for 'finding defects in said A assemblages, either in'number or arrangement or density, and marking means for defacing the wrappers of defective assemblages. In the best constructions contemplated, the detecting means includes an aligning member engaging one end of all the articles and a group of yielding feelers individually en aging the other articles, and he marking means includes a wrapper rinter and electrical connections controlled y the action of the detecting means and actuating said printer. These various parts may be widely varied in construction within the scope ofthe clainis, "forthe specific device selected to illustrate the invention is but one of numerous pos .slble concrete embodiments The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted to the precise details of thest-ructure shown and described. i

Referring to Fig. 1 4! indicates an article assembly of a packaging machine, such as that contained in one of the pockets 5 of the compressor of a cigarette packer in which the cigarettes for one package are assembled and prepared 'for packaging. The reference character 6 represents a part ends I of the of the same.

of the wrapper feed conveying wrappers 7 whichcorrespond with the set of articles 4 in the pocket 5 and which will form a package with those articles. 8, 9, 10'and 11 are stationary parts of the packagingmachine upon which various parts of the inspecting and marking device are mounted; 12 is the inspecting device;13 is a movable plate or aligning means having guiderods 14 and being yieldingly mounted," by means of a spring 15, on a plunger 16 slidable in the bearing 10 attached to or forming a part of the packaging machine frame; 17 and marking device which is an electric bell or 110 buzzer provided with an ink-saturated felt pad or wheel attached to the vibrator in lieu of the usual tapper.

The inspecting or detecting device proper is shown in Figs. 2 and 3. To the base 26, which is slidably mounted in the bearing 8 and to which one end of the lever 17 is attached, are attached the end plates 27 and 28, held together on to by the rods 12. The plates 27 and 28 ,shdably support the feelers 29, one for each article to be placed in a package. The feelers are normally held in their extreme outward positions by means of the springs 30 bearing against the plate 27 and collars 31 on the feelers 29. To the plate 28 and facing the collars 31 is affixed the contact late 32 insulated from the plate 28 by the her plate 33 and having holes sufficiently larger than the feelers 29 so that the latter can freely pass through the contact plate without touching it. A convenientl located tab of the contact plate 32 carries the terminal screw 34 for making the circuit connection. To the metallic frame of the inspection device is attached the contact spring 35 which engages an electrically connected part, or with a separate contact attached to the stationary member of the article assembling unit of the machine when the device is in its inspecting position.

In the resting position of the device, the feelers 29 are pressed forward by the springs 30, the collars 31 then being incontact with the plate 32, but the contact of spring 35 is open, hence no current can flow. Just before the pocket 5 is advanced into its article discharge position, the cam 21 actuates the levers 17 and 18 which are fulcrumed in the brackets 9 and 11, respectively, thereby engaging the article assembly 4 between the inspecting device and the aligning-device, 13, and ultimately bringing the contact spring 35 to bear against the surface of the pocket frame 5 which, throu h the bell 23 and marker '24 is connecte to the opposite pole of the current source 22 from that to which the contact plate 32 of the inspection device is connected. If all articles are in their proper place and of the correct length and density, then the feelers 29 are held stationary by them while the inspection device advances, so that all the collars 31 are lifted off the contact plate 32 and no current can flow when the contact spring 35 finally touches the pocket frame 5. But, if one or more of the articles are missing, or too short, or too soft, then the corresponding feelers 29 will penetrate the article space as the 1nspection device advances, and the corresponding collar or. collars. 31 will remaln in contact with the plate 32, so that current will flow when contact is estabhshed by the spring 35, and thus cause the bell 23 to rin and the marker 24 to contact with the a yancing wrapper 7 and deface the same, so that the package containing the defective assemblage of articles can be easily recognized as faulty, when discharged from the machine.

If desired, the springs 30 may be made adjustable by providing, at each feeler hole in plate 27, a movable stop, such as a bushing 36' screwed into or otherwise secured movably to the plate 27 and bearing against the end of the spring 30, as shown on the lower feeler in Fig. 2.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with supporting means for assemblages of articles and for wrappers in which said assemblages are to be located, of detecting means for finding defects in any article in said assemblages, and marking means for defacing the wrappers for defective assemblages.

2. Thecombination with supporting means for assembla es of articles andfor wrappers in which said assemblages are to be located, of detecting means for finding defects in any article in said assemblages, and marking means for defacing the wrappers for defective assemblages, said supporting means being operative to support the articles in regular arrangement, and said detecting means being operative to detect a defect in such arrangement and to actuate said marking means when one is detected.

3. The combination with supporting means for assembla es of articles and for wrappers in which said assemblages are to be located, of detecting means for finding defects in any article in said assemblages, and marking means for defacing the wrappers for defective assemblages, said supporting means being operative to support articles of different lengths, and said detecting means being operative to detect short articles and to actuate said marking means when one is detected.

4. The combination with supporting means for assembla es of articles and for wrappers in which said assemblages are to be located, of detecting means for finding defects in said assemblages, and marking means for defacing the wrappers for defective assemblages, said supporting means being operative to support articles of different density, and said detecting means being operative to detect soft articles and to actuate said marking means when one is detected.

5. The combination with supporting means for assembla es of articles and for wrappers in which sai assemblages are to be located, of detecting means for finding defects in said assemblages, and marking means for defacing the wrappers for defective assemblages, said detecting means including an aligning member engaging one end of all the article and a g o p of y ld ng feelers individually engaging the other ends of the articles.

6. The combination with supporting means for assemblages of articles and for wrappers in which sai assemblages are to be located, of detecting means for finding defects in said assemblages, and marking means for defacing the wrappers for defective assemblages, said marking means including a printer and'electrical connections controlled y the action of said detecting means and actuating said printer.

7. The combination with supporting means for assembla es of articles and for wrappers in which said assemblages are to be located, of detecting means for finding defects in any article in said assemblages, and marking means for defacing the wrappers for defective assemblages, said marking means including a sound producer and electrical connections controlled .by the action of said detecting means and actuating said sound producer.

8. Means for detecting defects in any article in assemblages of articles to be Wrapped, comprising an aligning member engaging one end of all the articles, a group of yieldingly feelersindividually engaging the otherendsof the articles, and means for moving said member and said feelers in and out of operative position. 7

9. Means for detecting defects in any article in assemblages of articles to be wrapped, comprising an aligning member engaging one end of all the articles, a group of yielding feelers individually engaging the other ends of the articles, and cam-actuated means. for simultaneously moving said member and said feelers in and out of operative position.

10. Means for detecting defects in any article in assemblages of articles to be wrapped, comprising a device having a supporting member and a yielding aligning member mounted therein and engagin one end of all the articles, a group of yie ding feelers individuallyengaging the other ends of the articles, a frame supporting said group, and cam-actuated means for simultaneously moving said supporting member and said frame to move said aligning mem ber and said feelers in and out of operative position. v i

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification.

CHARLES ARELT. JOHN JACKSON. 

